Raven
by ClockworkMinds
Summary: Ciel was reunited with Mey-Rin, Bladroy, and Finnian. Sebastian as well. But there seems to be a story about him going around. About demons and contracts. Ciel can be exposed. He'll have to go into hiding. That is, if he can't find out who started the whole mess.
1. Chapter 1

_So this is a continuation of my one-shot Blue Moon. I don't think it'll be any longer than 10 chapters. It'll be based around Ciel's now-daily life. And a certain raven, of course._

* * *

"I really, really hate you, sometimes." Ciel ground out. Lilith had given him a "tiny" task of setting up a corner display case. That case so happened to be about a foot and a half taller than Ciel.

"Quit your whining." Lilith scolded. "Be glad it's not oak."

Ciel sighed. She did have a point. "Yeah, yeah. I get it. This will be good practice for later in life."

"Boy. It's a week before Halloween. Do you really want to sass me in a shop where I can summon the Holy Spirit?"

"As if the Holy Spirit would listen to the likes of you." Ciel deadpanned.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Lilith raised an eyebrow. She'd dyed her hair white with red, black, and purple streaks.

_Mrowr! _

The resident black cat launched itself onto the counter, flopping down on top of the notebook Ciel was currently taking stock in. "Dammit! Lilith! Your cat!"

"Don't hurt him!" the woman's screech came from the other side of the shop.

The door chimed, signaling there'd be someone to deal with. Ciel prayed it wasn't Mrs. Lenger.

But as his luck had it, it was.

"Young man. Where is that nut of a woman?"

Lilith seemingly materialized at the end of the counter, grinning like a fool. "Hello. What can I do for you this time?"

"It seems a warding bracelet has shattered. The only bead left has turned black." Mrs. Lenger dropped the bracelet in front of Ciel.

The younger male made move to pick it up, but his wrist was roughly grabbed by Lilith. "Don't touch it. The bracelet has been cursed."

"Cursed?" Mrs. Lenger glared at Ciel. "Did you do this, boy?"

"I'm a kid. I know only basic wards and protection spells." Ciel growled. "Lilith means there is a demon or a dark entity in this bead. The only way to destroy it is by sealing it, then burning the location of where the sealed entity is."

"Demons are no lie. The Gods say so."

"Did you just say Gods?" Lilith narrowed her eyes.

"Did you really believe I was a Christian woman? No, not entirely. The church I attend has been plagued with strange attacks lately."

"We aren't ghost hunters, Mrs. Lenger. Ciel nor myself can do a thing about your church."

Mrs. Lenger sighed, folding her hands on the counter. "I know your eyes, young man. There is a story a man tells of a young boy who enslaved a demon. They bared marks like the one on your eye."

Ciel tried not to react. He must have, but only slightly. Because Lilith shooed him away. She said she's deal with the old bat herself. Lilith said to call Mey-Rin.

"Ciel? Why are you calling at this hour? Aren't you at work?"

The male didn't speak for a few seconds. "I am. Mrs. Lenger said there is someone at her church that tells stories of me. I don't think she knows I'm _the _Ciel Phantomhive. I think she's trying to find out."

"That's not good."

"No." Ciel noticed he was pacing. He froze, trying to calm himself down. "Lilith knows. But she's Lilith and she has contacts in the otherworld. She knows I want to try to be normal. But if Lenger exposes me, I'm beyond screwed."

"That crazy old lady needs to keep her mouth shut."

"No shit. I have to tell Sebastian."

"He isn't here. I actually have no clue where he is right now, actually."

"Text me when you find out."

"I will." Mey-Rin's voice was gentle. "Finni said he was on his way over."

"I'm not going to question that. I'm going to get back to work."

The line went dead. Ciel poked his head around the door, declaring it safe, he quietly walked to the counter, standing beside Lilith.

"I'm going to the church later to see the person. I'll wipe their memory of it if I need to."

"Are you strong enough to do that?"

Lilith chuckled. "I am a witch. I know the Earth and her beings like that back of my hand. I know humans are complicated, but are so easy to pick apart."

Ciel flinched slightly. "That sounds…lovely."

"I knew exactly who you were the second you stepped foot in this shop. I knew what you were after and why you were here."

"You sound like a stalker."

"Maybe I am."

"You're a creepy witch, is what." Ciel picked up a pen and twirled it between his fingers.

Lilith looked up at the front windows. "Your friend Finnian is here."

"I know. Mey-Rin said he would be."

"My God Ciel! Mey-Rin said that some crazy old bat came in here talking about you!"

"Shut your mouth, boy!" Lilith dropped her book. "Lenger has contacts. I don't know if she has someone hanging around this place. Keep your voices down. Go into the back room and talk, you idiots."

Ciel nearly dragged Finni to the back room, shutting the door a little too roughly behind him. "The back rooms are sound proof. There are tunnels under here. We can escape if need be. Why are you here exactly?"

"Lilith called. Well…texted and said she wanted someone here with you when she went to the church."

"Typical her. She's so protective over me,"

"She's a witch. She seems so familiar though. I can't place her."

"Familiar? How so?"

"I feel like we knew her back in England."

"Maybe. It's hard to remember anyone outside of those I was…and am close to."

The door slammed open, revealing Lilith, who was now dressed in black pants, a white tunic and a black vest. "I'm off boys. Try not to break anything. Ciel, make time to set up the shelf. Not all of it though,"

"Got it, Lilith. See you later." The male waved her off. He sighed, pushing away from the table he hadn't realized he was leaning against.

Several boxes were now stacked next to the shelf. Ciel tentatively opened one. He was relieved the objects weren't breakable. At least not easily. They were statues of animals and other objects.

"What used to be in the corner?" Finni asked.

"A sarcophagus."

"What? Where is it now?"

"That glass encased thing in the center of the shop would be it. Lilith has a ton of useless shit on it. Well, she doesn't think it's useless."

"Okay. I can't decide if that's gross or not."

"It's not like the thing inside of it will come to life and eat your soul."

"Sure it won't. This isn't a witch's shop at all." Finni said sarcastically.

Ciel wondered why Lilith even needed the statues. There weren't any of Hindu or Greek gods. They were all animals and everyday objects. He inhaled, going into a coughing fit. He suddenly felt light-headed and slightly nauseous. He could hear Finnian yelling his name before everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

_Nice cliffhanger, right? No? This chapter is mostly Ciel's thoughts. Of course, after a certain demon invades. And after the neighbors are separated._

* * *

Ciel could see flashing lights behind his eyelids. He could hear Finnian's voice, talking, and Lilith complaining about being questioned.

"Ciel! You're awake!"

"What the hell happened?"

Lilith plopped next to Ciel, grabbing his face, poking and prodding at him. "You opened a box and passed out."

"Obviously." Ciel groaned. "My head hurts. I didn't even fall that far."

"No. Nor did you hit your head. I think you inhaled something that affected you and you only. Because I sniffed the box and nothing happened." Lilith let go of Ciel's head. "I think it was meant for me. I have enemies. I have a warlock that would like to kill me. But I'm not sure."

"You are no help, Lilith."

The witch shrugged before standing back up. "Finnian is going to take you home. Take tomorrow off. I will call if I find anything, understood?"

"Fine, Lilith. You know I hate taking days off."

Lilith pulled him into a hug. "You work too much." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "And I'm not risking putting you in danger."

"Thanks Lilith. Be careful. Watch your back. I'm sure Sebastian can get Grell to watch you tomorrow."

"Oh dear. I'll be in for a good one. Get home. Sleep. Relax. I'll call you tomorrow to check up."

The apartment was black. Ciel flipped the hallway light on, seeing a handwritten note from his landlord on the door. His rent was three days overdue. He sighed, dropping the note to the counter. He'd go pay first thing in the morning. Ciel called the landlord to let him know he was turning rent in tomorrow morning, and that his boss had been out sick. The landlord knew he worked at Lilith's shop, and that Lilith was unpredictable.

"You shouldn't be here alone."

Ciel flailed, falling backwards into his stove. "Fuck you, Sebastian." He straightened, stalking into his room.

"What happened at the shop?"

"I don't know. But give me notice if you're just going to shot up like that, you asshole. Just because you're back doesn't mean I forgive you."

He still had the scar from when he was made a slave. He still bore the scar on his forearm from the Joker. The scar on his thigh from when he jumped through a third floor window months after Sebastian left. He didn't know about the last one.

Sebastian watched Ciel go through his nightly routine, finally deciding maybe watching him wasn't the best idea. He retreated to the small living room. Ciel, however, was glad Sebastian had stopped watching him. He hated being watched. It made him feeling restless, itchy almost. He ruffled his hair, realizing he had yet to get it cut. It was a little too long, nearly to his shoulders in the sides.

The ravenette saw his reflection. He looked tired, sick, worn down. He had a faint bruise on his cheek. His eyes were slightly unfocused.

_What even happened? _Ciel thought to himself. _It felt exactly like I was getting sick, like at Noah's Ark Circus. But it was different. I have my inhaler. _Ciel rubbed his shoulder. Asthma sucked. Modern medicine was good. Lilith burned incense, but it didn't bother him. Cigarettes, car fumes, strong smells, things like that bothered him.

_But I could breathe. I inhaled something that caused me to black out, but didn't trigger an attack. _He wanted to called Lilith. But the witch knew all, so she probably knew about him not having an asthma attack. That itself was strange.

Thinking about it was making his head hurt.

He realized his neighbors were yelling again, but this time was different. The woman's voice was near a scream. Something was thrown against the wall, breaking. Ciel jumped. He grabbed a sweatshirt and called the landlord.

"Ciel? Is something wrong?" The elderly man's voice sounded slightly worried.

"408 is at it again. Something was thrown and it broke. I heard it."

"I'll call 911. Be careful." He hung up.

Ciel slid into the kitchen yanking his boots on none too gently.

"Ciel?" Sebastian asked.

"Come with me."

The younger male knocked on 408's door, getting answered by a very angry voice.

"What the hell do you want?"

"Making sure everything is okay. I thought I heard something break."

"You're hearing things, boy. Go back to your apartment and leave us alone."

Ciel could see flashing lights through the hall window. Two doors from his, near the stairs, a woman poked her head out the door. "Is she alright, boy?"

She was referring to the woman that lived here. "I don't know, ma'am. The police are here." Ciel whispered loudly.

"I hope she is. Her husband is violent."

"As do I." Ciel turned his attention back to 408. It had grown silent, until the door was yanked open and a woman slammed into Ciel, knocking him over. A heavyset male followed after, trying to rip the woman off Ciel, but she was clinging to him.

"Sebastian." Ciel growled. The demon was in motion before Ciel could finish his name.

"That's my wife! So you're the one she's been cheating with!"

"I'm only seventeen, you ass!" Ciel retorted.

The man didn't seem to care. He tried pulling out of Sebastian's grasp, but it wasn't working.

Footsteps were slowly coming up the stairs. "Police! Is everything alright?"

Ciel made a growling noise in his throat. "You and I are going to go for the stairs. Sebastian has him pinned. We'll be okay."

The woman nodded. She stood up, slightly unsteady. She grabbed Ciel's arm as the two moved as fast as possible to the stairs.

"We're fine. My friend has the attacker pinned. Get her to safety." Ciel let the woman go.

Four officers took down the hall. The attacker was let go by Sebastian and he charged the cops, getting thrown to the floor. Ciel watched the scene, terrified.

"Thank you." The woman whispered.

"You're welcome." Ciel smiled gently.

Forty-five minutes later, an ever tired Ciel let himself back into his apartment. He stumbled to his bedroom, stripping his sweatshirt off along the way. He was usually a stickler for cleanliness, but he was too tired to care. He shed his jeans and boots at the side of his bed, leaving him in boxers. Ciel curled up under the sheets, welcoming sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

_Excuse me for not updating sooner. I'm currently juggling two jobs and school. (I'm a senior and let me tell you the teachers don't understand fun.) Super short, but hey, it's an update.  
_

* * *

The apartment was cold when Ciel woke. It had been empty for a while. The lights were off, and Ciel knew he'd left them on when he collapsed into bed. That left Sebastian, and he doubted the landlord had turned them off, because his clock was still on.

He felt gross. After all the excitement and adrenaline and no shower, Ciel was sure his hair was stick straight up in some places. He didn't care at the moment. He wanted coffee and breakfast…that is, if he could find something to eat.

His phone buzzed, the caller ID read that it was Lilith.

"Oi, I've called your ass five times. You usually answer the first time." Lilith scolded.

"I just woke up. My phone was in the kitchen. The neighbors had to be separated last night."

"And you got involved." It wasn't a question.

"Shit was being thrown. I wasn't going to let the woman get killed. She couldn't have been older than twenty eight, Lilith. She's got a whole life ahead of her."

"Then be blessed. May her soul have peace and she life completely." Lilith sighed. "I called to tell you the powder in the box should have triggered an asthma attack. Possibly one that might have killed you."

"No asthma attack."

"I know. I don't think you inhaled enough to cause one. But enough to knock you out."

Ciel sighed, pouring himself coffee and dumping sugar into it. "It smelled awful…not like burning flesh. More like burnt meat or something."

He could hear Lilith rummaging around in something. "Well, my book says it's a typical ingredient for sleeping potions and some other not so nice poisons. The powder is fairly easy to get, and I only sell it to licensed buyers because it can be deadly."

"Can it be grown or whatever?"

"Made? Oh yeah. Sure. That isn't so easy. It's dark magic."

"Lovely. This will be interesting." Ciel groaned.

"Watch your back, Ciel."

"Lilith. I know. I've been in situations like this before."

"But you had Sebastian at your side."

The younger male huffed, making noises of protest. He hung up on his boss, returning to his coffee. The teen didn't want to stay inside, trapped in his apartment.

Right.

As to how he had gotten here…he wasn't entirely sure. Not here as in the exact spot he was sitting, or in the apartment, but rather the fact that it was 2011, one hundred eighteen years after Sebastian left.

Sebastian didn't sever the contract. Ciel wanted to believe that was part of it. But he wanted to believe it was because he had no soul. But he was human. He clung to the things he held dear, the things he loved most. So with that, it led him to believe he was cursed.

"Cursed." Ciel said out loud.

No. Maybe not. He didn't know for sure.

It didn't matter. Did it?

Ciel shook his head, grumbling to himself. He really shouldn't be thinking about this. It made his head hurt.

A knock on his door made him jump. No one said anything, so it could have been anyone. Not taking precautions, he tiptoed to the living room and grabbed the handgun then quietly made for the door.

_Click. Click. Rattle._

Yeah okay. Breaking in. Ciel took a step back and aimed, hand steady. Or as steady as he could manage.

"Oi. Brat! What the hell are you pointing that at me for?" Lilith yelled.

"You didn't say it was you!"

"I thought you'd be asleep. But apparently not." Lilith sighed. "Well, I brought you some soup. I figured you'd need it."

Ciel dropped the gun to the counter. "Thanks."

"I am sorry I scared you. I didn't mean to. Sebastian stopped in this morning. He said you looked paler than normal last night."

"I was tired."

Lilith shrugged. "I wasn't taking his word one-hundred percent, Ciel. And I wanted to check on you."

"I'm _fine._"

The witch narrowed her eyes at Ciel. He looked a little sick, much paler than he usually was. "Because I totally fucking believe you, Ciel. I've known you long enough to know you're lying right now."

The moment Lilith finished her sentence, Ciel felt sick. Dizzy and sort of sweaty. He grabbed onto the counter for leverage. His vision was blurred, like a veil had been thrown over his head.

"Hey. What's wrong?"

"Eyes hurt. Maybe it's my…head." Ciel collapsed against the counter. He sank to the floor, resisting rubbing his eyes.

"Okay, okay. Let's get you to the couch." Lilith helped him up. Ciel was light and the witch could carry him if need be. She knew Ciel hated showing weakness. But something was really wrong.


	4. Chapter 4

_I'm not even going to apologize for not updating. High school is a bitch and I'm so glad I'm graduating.  
_

* * *

Lilith had called Sebastian, who appeared behind her two seconds after hanging up, resulting in the witch throwing a spell at the demon's chest. Of course, Sebastian was unfazed.

"What happened?" The demon asked, glancing at Lilith.

"I came to check on him and found him like this."

"Is he sick?"

Lilith huffed. "No. It's not a cold or the flu. It's something else. It's origin is…old magic. I can't really tell."

"That's not good."

"No." Lilith sighed. "I can call Ellie. She might know something."

_The bar was dimly lit, making it harder to see with the thick smoke that floated around the room. True, Ciel should not even have been there. He was supposed to be dead after all. He was human. Wasn't he?_

_For the last God knows how many years Ciel had been questioning his humanity. He noticed he'd heal quicker as the years passed. But the Faustian contract was still engraved into his eye. If engraved was even the right word._

_"You seem sad, kid." _

_Ciel looked up, his sight on the door blocked by a female. When he didn't respond immediately, she just smirked and ordered something in a foreign language then shoved the glass toward him._

_"If you're going to sit in a bar, you might as well drink."_

_"I'm not of age." Ciel's words were clipped._

_"It's 1943. We're in the middle of a damned war. They won't care."_

_"How do you know?"_

_"Do you know how many soldiers are 18? Or younger? Or how many people are killed in the raids, whether it's Hitler or not?"_

_"Too many to count." Ciel picked up the glass, sniffing the liquid. "That's why the bodies get burned."_

_The female smirked. "You're smart."_

_"I've seen enough to know." Ciel set the glass back down. The liquid burned like hell in his throat, but left a fruity after taste._

_"You look to young."_

_Ciel looked up. The female was watching him closely. "I'm a lot older than you think."_

_When she didn't answer, Ciel followed her gaze to the far side of the bar, to where six men, dressed in suits were sitting. It wasn't unusual to see well-dressed men in here. But something seemed off about them. They weren't laughing, smoking, or even drinking. They were just sitting there._

_Ciel jumped when he felt something grab his wrist. "Are you Ciel Phantomhive?"_

_That caught Ciel off guard. He stared at her. "N-no."_

_"Are you or are you not?"_

_"I said no!" He hissed._

_"Yes, you are. Those men over there are looking for you."_

_"How-,"_

_"I know things. They've been watching you since you walked in three hours ago,"_

_"How did I not notice?" Ciel looked at the men out of the corner of his eye. "What am I to you?"_

_"I'm going to get you the hell out of England. That's all that matters."_

_Ciel didn't remember much after that. But the second he woke up, he could feel the swaying of a boat. He rolled over, not know if he was actually going to get sick or not._

_He cracked an eye open, examining the room. Bunk beds lined the walls, three beds high. In the center of the room was a strange shelving unit with bags and suitcases stacked. There wasn't anyone else in the room, besides a black cat with a single white paw. It was so tiny Ciel wondered how it was even alive._

_"Come here, little guy," his voice was scratchy and barely there._

_The cat padded over slowly, apprehensive of Ciel's hand. At first, the feline merely stared at the hand, then began inching closer._

_"I'm not going to hurt you." Ciel smiled slightly when the cat pushed its face against his hand. "See there? Not hurting you, little guy." He scooped it up. Its purr was weak._

_The door opened, revealing the girl from the bar. "You're finally awake. The nurses thought you were in a coma."_

_"Coma?" Ciel narrowed his eyes. _

_"Yes." She paused. "I never did get the chance to introduce myself. " I'm Ellie."_

_"Ellie. That's a nice name."_

_"Ciel is unique." She sat on the edge of the bed. "That cat hasn't left this room since you were put in it. None of the crew remember it coming on with another passenger."_

_"So it just showed up?"_

_"Yeah. But there's something even more strange." Ellie scratched the cat's ear. "When the captain looked over the census for boarding, there were two-hundred seventy eight people in total. Now there's four less."_

_"That's weird."_

_A knock resounded through the room. "Ellie, come on. Let's go get food. He's not going to wake up any time soon."_

_"He's awake, Robert."_

_The door creaked open. "Oh. You've been out for almost two weeks, kid."_

_"What? That long?" Ciel's eyes widened. "How the hell am I still alive?!"_

_"Ellie here is a witch, specializes in healing and life magic."_

_"A what?"_

_"Witch. You know, the ones those stories say are all evil, have green skin and warts?"_

_Ciel tried to relax, but his body wanted to run. "You don't look like a witch."_

_"I know. So I've been told." Ellie laughed. "Robert is something like a body guard. He can use magic, but not as well as I can. He is, however, excellent in close combat."_

_"I don't think I'd be able to fight. It's been years."_

_Ellie nodded. "Since the last time you saw Sebastian, right?"_

_Ciel nodded. "Eighteen something, I think. I don't remember. All I know is I'm not entirely demon because I heal slow as hell."_

_Robert's voice was soft. "Those men at the bar want you because of that. You're not a demon, at least not entirely. They think there some kind of magic involved. But there isn't. It's because your Faustian contract was never cut."_

_"That's impossible."_

_"But it is." Robert said. "That cat followed us to four different cities, and was never out of our sight. It's not your ex-butler, but something of his."_

_Ciel looked down at the cat. It definitely wasn't Sebastian, with its glowing green eyes. "You really think that?"_

_"I think Sebastian is trying to keep an eye on you. This cat itself is a demon, but it cannot change form."_

_"At least I know it won't hurt me in my sleep." Ciel paused. "Wait, no. It's a cat. They're not creatures to be told what to do."_

_"Cats are loyal, you know."_

_"I used to be allergic."_

_"Doesn't seem like you are now."_

_Ciel shrugged. "I think…I think it's because I'm part demon. I don't really have asthma anymore either. I still get short of breath and sick a lot."_

_"See? Still human."_

_"I was supposed to be a full-fledged demon by the time I was twenty five."_

_"But here you are." Ellie grinned. "You're alive and human. "_

**_Present_**

Ciel's eyes snapped open and he sat up so fast he actually fell off his bed. He landed on the floor with a rather loud _thud_, but made no moves to get up.

"Fuck." He groaned. It was dark, but he could remember passing out when the sun was bright.

"Ciel!" Lilith's voice came from somewhere in the front of the apartment.

"Shut it!" Ciel growled."

The door opened, letting bright light floor in. "Are you alright?" Sebastian's voice was soft, gentle.

"I'm fine. Just go away."

"You're hurt."

"What the hell does it matter?" Ciel hissed, sitting up enough to meet the demon's eyes. "Can't you get Lilith or someone?"

"Why are you pushing me away?" Sebastian's voice was too calm.

That was the last straw. "Maybe because you fucking left me with almost nothing! Maybe because when you left, I couldn't find anyone from the manor! I couldn't even find Elizabeth at first, but when I did, she'd already been married to another man."

"I am sorry, Ciel."

"Sorry won't cut it. I barely made it out of London alive. I had to fight, jump out of burning buildings, watch people get killed. Why? Because someone found out you were a demon. I lived in hell. I almost died several times."

"But you're here."

"By some damned miracle."

Heavy footsteps came towards the room. Baldroy stood in the doorway, but was lacking a cigarette. "I heard yelling."

"Yeah." Ciel snapped.

"Sebastian, I think it's best you leave." Baldroy said. "Finni and Mey-rin will be here soon. They'll take care of him."

Without another word, Sebastian changed into a raven and took off out the window. Ciel hadn't noticed he was shaking, let alone crying.

"Demons aren't supposed to harbor feelings, you know."

"I'm not a demon."

"I wasn't talking about you." Baldroy dragged Ciel back up onto the bed. "Sebastian does care. None of us know why he left, with you in the bad part of London. We didn't know you were there until you were already half-way to America."

"Why not sooner?"

"The estate was being taken care of. It was sold to the queen. It's still standing, and the contract still has your name on it. It's just under the queen's care."

"That's good to know, I guess."

The front door opened and Ciel could hear Lilith stomping around. "Ciel! I've got someone with me I think you'd like to talk to!"

* * *

_So we'll be meeting Ellie next chapter. Yes, much of this chapter was a flashback. Deal with it._


	5. Chapter 5

_Hey, look! It wasn't too long between updates this time. _

* * *

Baldroy left Ciel alone to gather up the energy to greet Lilith and Ellie. All he had on was sweatpants and a loose shirt, but at that particular moment, he didn't care. Simply because he was exhausted and felt like he'd been hit by a few semi-trucks and a train or two.

He could hear Lilith scolding Sebastian in the living room, Finni going on about the herd garden behind Lilith's shop, and Baldroy trying to get everyone's attention for breakfast. The only choice Ciel really had was to face Lilith and Ellie. Well, he _could _stay in his room, but Lilith would just drag him out. Either way, he was going to have to meet Ellie.

He wrapped the comforter around his shoulders and trudged out into the living room/kitchen. Lilith waved him over, patting the seat next to her. "Ciel. You don't look so good."

"Yes. I know. I feel like shit too."

"He's feisty. I guess that's expected of a half-demon." He only other female in the room spoke. That had to be Ellie.

"Ellie, this is Ciel."

Ellie looked Ciel head to toe. "Whatever that powder was, it affected his immune system. But it was already iffy to begin with, wasn't it? Usually when one becomes a demon, all ailments are healed and they disappear. But you still have a human heart."

"So do shinigamis and other demons."

"Not like that, you idiot. You care greatly for your friends."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Ciel huffed.

Ellie laughed. "It makes your more powerful."

"I can't do much."

"Have you tried?"

Ciel was silent for a few moments. "No, not really."

Ellie looked over at Lilith. "Does he try anything in your shop?"

"It depends on what job I give him. If it's dusting, or cleaning something that might trigger an asthma attack, then yes. But otherwise, no."

"You're a delicate flower, but you held up against the world so strong." Ellie stated. "How the hell you managed without being killed is a surprised. Especially after your booked it the second the ship landed."

Then it hit Ciel like a ton of bricks. He knew Ellie. She was the girl you got him to America in the first place. "No. No way you're _that _Ellie."

"But I am."

"Why are you still alive? Shouldn't you be dead?"

Ellie shrugged. "Could be. But magic is what keeps me alive in a way. Lilith here is from Egypt, back when the pyramids were still being built. She was what they called a witch doctor. Born with power, not one who learned it."

"That's not a witch doctor."

"To them, she was."

"Ellie, please get on with it. You do have things to maintain." Lilith cut her off.

The brunette froze mid-sentence, then closed her mouth. "Right. Exorcisms, house purifying, baby-sitting. Always the same." Ellie prattled. "This powder, it's not asbestos or anthrax, but something like anthrax, specifically mixed for you Ciel. It's your own brand of drug. Could kill you in massive doses, but seeing as you only inhaled a tiny bit, you're a little sick. It's a side effect. Now, I have seen things like this before, back in China. If you wanted someone dead and didn't want to leave evidence, this was used."

"How is it made?" Ciel pulled the comforter tighter around himself.

"It's hard to explain. It's a mix of your blood, some herbs, magic, and nightshade."

"My blood?" Ciel squeaked.

"That's the only way it's deadly to you. With magic laced in, your body won't reject the powder. As it is your blood, so the poison would lace into your DNA and kill you slowly. You'd get more and more sick as time went by until you died. And it would be painful and slow."

Ciel wrinkled his nose. "If it's grafted into my DNA, then why am I not getting worse?"

"Like I said, it only works in larger doses. And it only affects you, not anyone else. Lilith could inhale a deadly amount and have a mere cold."

"This is bullshit." Ciel stood and padded to the kitchen, which was surprisingly empty. But there was a Tupperware container of food, which meant Baldroy had cooked, but not much.

He shoved the container into the microwave and started up the coffee machine. He did like tea still, but coffee was better most days. It kept him awake, instead of putting him to sleep. Sleep sounded really, really nice right now.

"Ciel?" Mey-rin's voice was soft. "Ellie left."

"That's fine."

"Are you upset?"

"Someone is trying to kill me." He deadpanned. He turned to look at the red head. She never wore her glasses anymore. No one knew her, so the disguise wasn't needed. Mey-rin also tended to wear skinny jeans, heavy boots, and some weird t-shirt of a band Ciel had never heard of.

"That's impossible. No one knows who you are besides the circle. And Ellie."

"Don't forget the damned reapers."

Mey-rin shrugged, nodding. "True. But Grell and William and the others haven't contacted you."

"Nor have I actually seen them. I usually see Grell."

"You weren't with Sebastian for a long time. He probably didn't see the need to bother you."

Ciel pulled the warm container from the microwave and poked at the food with a fork. "I can't move. If I uproot it'll look suspicious. Especially with that woman nosing around."

"Woman?" Mey-rin sat next to Ciel.

"Yeah. There's this older lady who's a regular at Lilith's shop, but this last time she was in, she was on about a boy and his demon. She even said that the boy looked like me." Ciel dropped the fork to the counter, putting his head in his hands. "But this church she belongs to, I did a little research on them."

"And?"

"They were around at the time my parents were killed, the cult captured me, and I summoned Sebastian."

Mey-rin pulled me into a hug. I wasn't so tiny anymore, but still slightly shorter than she was. "We'll figure this out."

Ciel didn't respond immediately. "I fucking hope so."

Everyone left soon after, leaving Ciel to his own devices. For a few moments, he just sat in the kitchen, poking at the food before putting it away and dumping the fork in the sink. He then decided to actually get dressed and try to be useful. Lilith had banned him from the shop for a few days. Maybe he could try catching up on other things, like cleaning. Or grocery shopping.

His phone rang, scaring him. He nearly tripped into the couch while trying to grab it. The caller ID read Finni.

"Hello?"

_"Ciel? Lilith said she wants you at the shop. She said to pack a few days' worth of clothes too. Said something about you being watched."_

"Could she not call me herself?"

_"I don't know. I think she's out right now stocking up on food or something. Might be out on a house visit."_

Ciel groaned. "She left you with the shop."

_"It's not like I can't handle myself." _

"I know. I know. Give me thirty. I need to do shit here first. Won't take me long."

_"Got it. See you then."_

"Yeah. Bye."


	6. Chapter 6

I have no excuse. It's late as fuck. Enjoy. I hope.

* * *

A quiet, not busy shop meant a very bored Ciel. Lilith had texted him several times to make sure he was still alive. Or awake. And he was barely awake at the moment.

The bell chimed, signaling someone had walked in. He could hear the faint jangling of bracelets and the quiet click clack of heels.

"Welcome to Lilith's Emporium. Let me know if you need anything."

The woman froze mid step, turning to stare at Ciel. "You look…. twelve."

Ciel sat up a little straighter. "That's not even an insult, ma'am."

"You're a kid working for this nut of a sister."

"I'm sorry. Did you just say _sister_?"

She put her hands on her hips. Now that Ciel looked at her, she did have the same high cheekbones and bony frame as Lilith. Her eyes were the same shape, but a brighter, less muddy green.

"She's a nut. I've been working here for a while now,"

"Ah. So you're the kid she tells our mother about."

"I don't even know who you are lady. Besides the fact that you're apparently my boss's sister. Care to explain?"

The woman came closer to the desk, tapping her nails on it. "You're half demon. Aging ever so slowly. Someone's been trying to kill you. And as of right now, there is a man in that black car across the street. He's been given a job to hurt you enough to keep that old butler of yours out of their way." She sighed.

"What?" Ciel started to look up, but was stopped by her tapping a nail a little harder on the surface of the desk.

"No, no. Don't look. Looking will let them know you are aware of their presence. I have several familiars watching the place. They can make a big enough scene if needed."

"Why are you here? Who are you?"

"Lilith didn't send me. Word of a half-life being in danger got around to us cult witches. I'm Michaela."

"You already know my name, so an introduction from me is fucking useless."

Michaela laughed. "So it is."

"Why is a cult interested in protecting me?"

"The cult I'm in isn't any old one. We're the center of Illuminati legends. We protect half-lives like you. We protect new demons. We protect humans."

"So you're like body guards or whatever."

"You could say that. But most of us are shapeshifters. We do have a few skin walkers in our presence. But they're from the oldest native American Indians tribes. I think, if I remember correctly, we have a few Mayans and Incans."

"Damn."

"Anyways, I was wondering if Lilith had any ancient oak sap. Or leaves. Either works."

"We have sap. It's not on display. It's in barrels in the back. How much do you need?"

"Two three ounce bottles"

"I'll have to see if we have those."

"If not, I did bring my own." Michael dug around in her bag. She pulled out a dark red wooden box. "Here. Be careful with those. They were our great-great grandmother's."

"I'm not a klutz like Lilith. Almost every damn pine shelf was put up b me. She sat back and laughed as I struggled."

"Oh my. That sounds like a Lilith thing to do."

"I'll be right back."

Walking into the back room, Ciel breathed a sigh of relief. He'd known the guy in the car was watching him. The idiot had his window rolled down just enough so Ciel would tell the guy was watching him. He didn't feel the presence of any familiars. He knew Lilith didn't have a sister.

He pulled his phone out, dialing Finnian. "Hey. I might be in trouble."

"How so?"

"Some woman is in here. Claims she's Lilith's sister. Lilith doesn't have a sister."

"Shit. I can't get to you fast enough. Call Sebastian."

"I don't want to call him."

"Just do it, Ciel. He's literally the only one who can get to you fast enough beside Grell. Grell is if you're lucky."

"Fuck. I'll call them both then." I hung up, hissing through my teeth. I mumbled out a quiet summoning to Sebastian, hoping my tone was desperate enough. Then I dialed Grell, who picked up on the first ring.

"What on earth is making you call me? You never call me."

"I'm pretty sure I'm in danger." I deadpanned.

"Isn't Sebby with you?"

"No. Grell, I really don't have time for this. Gather up your buddies and get here. I called Sebastian. I have no idea if he even heard me."

Ciel could hear Grell talking to someone and getting a rather irritated response. "William and I are coming."

Ciel breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you." He got sap from the barrel and returned to the front, only to see Michaela fingering an amulet.

"Here you go. Sorry it took so long. Lilith had a bunch of crap in front of the damned barrels."

Michael smiled sweetly. "Well, I'm sure it was an inconvenience for you, wasn't it?"

Ciel raised an eyebrow. "Not really."

"I'm going to tell you something, Ciel. You're going to listen well. And obey."

"What the hell makes you think I'm going to do either of those?"

"Because if you don't, those men outside will kill you."

"Will they now? I'm sure a bullet will hurt. No, I_ know _bullets hurt. I can smell the gunpowder. And the copper."

"How?"

"I'm more demon than you think."

"That's not possible. With Sebastian not being near you, you should be a weak little thing."

Ciel ran a hand through his hair. "I still have the mark. I wear a contact. I've been shot dozens of times by all sorts of bullets. Your measly bullets will do little harm. Even if they have the strongest poison you could get your hands on."

"Shoot him. Now."

A flash of black, and Grell's cackling was suddenly there. Out of nowhere, it seemed. The black was not William, thankfully. Instead, it was Sebastian. Grell had his chainsaw, but wasn't using it. Instead, he had two men in one hand, waving the chainsaw at William, who was still outside.

"Sebastian?" Ciel looked up from where he was on the floor.

"You did call, young Master."

"I'm not young. Nor am I your Master."

"We never did break the contract."

Ciel rolled his eyes and stood, straightening his sweater. "I know. Just get on with it."

"Who the fuck are you?" Michaela glared at Sebastian.

Sebastian dropped down from the counter, rolling the bullet he'd caught between his fingers. "I am Ciel's butler. A good one, might I add." Sebastian stalked toward Michaela. "I've kept watch on him all these years. He may not have known I was there, but I was."

"God, you're such a fucking stalker." Ciel groaned. "Can we get this over with so I can call Lilith and then go home?"

Grell rolled his eyes. "Impatient as usual."

"You do realize that despite us being separated for as long as we were, doesn't mean I'd abandon him."

Michaela wrinkled her nose. "You sound like an immortal stalker. It's disgusting."

Sebastian grabbed her by her throat and lifted her off the ground slightly. "Immortal? Yes. Stalker? Not really. But I don't think you take your job seriously."

Since Ciel was once again standing, he could stare Michaela down. "I know Lilith well. I've been working for her close to…seven years or so. I've been nearly killed before. But this is different. Whoever is in charge of you idiots has it out for me. I'd really like to know who the fuckwit behind all this is. Sooner rather than later."

Michaela laugh. "Oh, you poor, ignorant boy. I can have a knife to my throat like this, or be tortured to the brink of death and I still won't tell you. He's been plotting this for years. Nearly from the time you disappeared."

Ciel looked at Sebastian. "If it's the Undertaker, I swear to fucking hell, I'll kick his ass personally."

"No. It's not him. I'd know." Sebastian responded calmly. "He's working as a Reaper again. Grell and William have tabs on him. Along with every other Reaper. But, it's someone who knows the Undertaker."

"Well that's fucking fantastic." Ciel threw his arms up. "Just what we needed. So we have a chance he's probably got more power than the Undertaker."

"Well aren't you a smart little bird? I won't say a word."

Ciel wanted nothing more than to jump the counter and punch Michaela in the face. But he was interrupted by Lilith appearing in front of him.

The witch was positioned in a clear fighting stance, wand gripped in her left hand, right hand had all but her index and middle fingers down, which were pressed together. Lilith had her eyes on Michaela, paying no mind to the demon or the two Reapers that stood in her shop.

"I've seen you around. You've been hanging out across the street at that little café." Her voice was sharp and crystalline clear, her accent a mix of several. "And if either of your Reapers or your demon even break the tiniest thing in this shop, I'll have you working as a slave in one of the circles of hell."

Sebastian turned entirely to look at Lilith. He bowed, moving his arm in an all too familiar way. "Yes, of course. You're more powerful than you let on, half-blood."

"Shut it, bastard. If you were a little smarter, you wouldn't have been watching Ciel for this long. Or have lost him for half a century."

Michaela moved slightly, trying to adjust William's grip on her. Lilith caught the movement, and flicked her two fingers, tightly binding Michaela in place. "Quit struggling. The more you struggle, the tighter the binding will get."

"Half-blood?" Ciel choked out.

Lilith relaxed and sighed. "I'm an archangel's spawn. Don't know which one and doubt I ever will."

"Guess I can't say I expected more." Ciel shrugged. "You were always a little odd."

"Story time later, boys. We need to get these rats taken care of. I prefer them in the cellar. It's sound proof. But don't kill them or damage them too much. You Reapers are odd in your ways." Lilith waved them off, grabbed Ciel's wrist and dragged him into the back, shoving a door open and pushing him inside. "Upstairs, go. I'll be with you in a moment."


	7. Chapter 7

So there is an explanation in here as to how Finni, Mey-Rin, and Baldroy are alive still. It's probably a shitty explanation and way off what a Black Butler plot would possibly be, but it's an explanation.

* * *

Ciel moved ever so slowly up the stairs. He wasn't sure what exactly waited for him at the top. He realized it was a little dark when he reached the upper landing, so while fumbling around for a light switch, he realized it was Lilith's home. Or apartment. Whatever you called it.

Finding a light switch was easy, but processing the fact that the house was decorated in soft, calming colors was not easy. It was a huge surprise. Ciel noted he had walked into some sort of foyer. To his left was the kitchen, it's door slightly ajar. He decided it would probably be best he went in there and waited.

"Oh good. I was afraid you'd just stand in the stairwell like an idiot." Lilith said. "I came up and didn't see you. I was worried you'd bolted while you had the chance."

"I've dealt with worse. Met weirder people." Ciel responded.

"I should have known. I do apologize for not telling you."

"That you're a half-blood? I'm half demon. You really think I wouldn't have noticed something odd?"

Lilith smiled and bowed her head. "I've been alive longer than Sebastian. He knows it too. I was alive for the black plague, and some years before that. Anything before the plague is blurry though."

"Why is that?"

"My village was burned to the ground. We were a port, a major one too. It was suspected by the Church that we were where the plague came from. So the Church set fire to everything. Trapped people in. I was the lone survivor. I was branded a witch. They tried burning me, but failed. Torture didn't work either. Nothing really did. Nightshade and a few other poisonous plants made me sick for a few days, but that was about it."

"So you were born a half-blood." Ciel stated.

"Mostly likely, yes. Half-bloods are not made, like demons. We are born. While demon can be born, it is very rare and has to happen under certain circumstances."

Ciel knew how Sebastian had become a demon. He'd seen the flashback with his own eyes. It had kept him awake for a while. "Demons can only become what they are if they go through some sort of trauma, close to true terror, and far beyond hatred and loathing."

Lilith nodded sadly. "Sebastian's has been one of the worst known. To be hurt in such a way it drives you mad, it cannot be redone. Cannot be undone. You simply get stuck until the bloodlust is quelled."

Grell's voice came through the door, as obnoxious as ever. "Lilly, dear, are you home?"

"Of course I am, you mongrel. Knock instead of calling my name. I could tear you to shreds." Lilith snapped. "My name is Lilith. No Lilly. I'm not a fucking flower." She said as Grell, William, and Sebastian entered.

"it's a lovely home you have, Lilith." Sebastian smiled sickeningly sweet,

"Cut it out. It's not like you haven't been here before. Don't think for a second I don't notice when a demon enters my home. Somehow getting past all the wards and familiars I have. I'm not stupid."

William had yet to say something. He looked rather irritated with the bickering. "We have a problem on our hands, and letting it run away to cause more would not be a good idea. I might suggest we stop this nonsense and talk."

Lilith raised an eyebrow at Will. "This is the twenty-first century. You really don't need to talk like that."

"I will do as I wish, half-breed." Will sniped.

"William!" Grell and Sebastian scolded.

Ciel rubbed his hands over his face. "we could do with being nice to one another and actually talk, please. I don't want to actually end up dead. Near death experiences are enough. And I've had plenty of those the last few weeks."

"Everyone, sit. I'm not making you tea or coffee. You assholes can do it yourselves. You're all adult me. Or so I hope."

Sebastian and Grell did as Lilith ordered, but William was hesitant.

"Sit, you doting idiot." Grell huffed out.

Ciel raised an eyebrow. "And why are you ordering him around?"

"I'm a rank higher than his sorry ass. He had a major fuck up during World War two and killed about 800 people. More than that, I think. I was never told an exact number."

"You were told not to speak of the incident, Grell." William snapped.

Lilith groaned, but it sounded closer to a growl. "Stop! Alright? Settle your damn differences elsewhere. Don't think I can't hand your asses to you just because you're undead. I can bind you to the nearest inanimate object for a hundred years if I wanted to."

William fell silent at Lilith's words. "I am sorry, ma'am."

"Shut it." Lilith resituated herself in her seat. "These people, or at least the woman, have been hanging around here the last few days. That was why I didn't want Ciel here. But they were here the last three, so I figured it was safe. Now I know that they were onto my thoughts. Hence why they charged. Figuratively speaking."

"Why would they just stop?"

"Orders. Maybe they thought there was an opening to grab you and book it. Might have been planning to kill you somewhere else or hurt you and leave you for dead."

"I'm half demon." Ciel deadpanned. "Are they stupid?"

"It is possible they didn't have that intel until recently. And if they did, all this could have been a test to see if you are actually a half blood."

"Jackasses." Ciel leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms

"Yes." Lilith said. "But I'm thinking they're more after how everyone is even still alive."

"I know I am because I'm a half demon. Grell and four-eyes are dead, Sebastian is a demon. Don't ask me why Mey-Rin, Finni, and Bald-Roy are here. That I can't answer."

"Finnian's DNA was messed with in the labs when he was being experimented on. Mey-Rin and Bald-Roy are more than likely tied to you somehow tied to you, or even Sebastian here."

"Uh, actually, no." Grell said. "Mey-Rin passed away about five years after Ciel left. Bald-roy was killed in World War One, and Finnian I'm not entirely sure of, but he was found out and killed."

"So how the fuck are they here?"

Lilith slammed her hand on the table. "They're Reapers, aren't they?"

Grell nodded. "Yes, they are."

"How did I not sense it?" Lilith stood and started pacing the space between the wall and the refrigerator.

"When they found out Ciel was still alive, they resigned from their positions. They aren't mortal or as strong as they were before their resignation." Grell explained. "They will be getting their positions back soon. They'll have full powered weapons and strength to guard Ciel."

"Whoever your boss is, got himself into something bad with those three." Ciel groaned.

"At first, yes. After a few years, they got the hang of it and stopped destroying everything in their paths."

Ciel raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't even sound like them."

"A few years of being dead does wonders, kid."

"I am not a kid!" Ciel yelled.

"Calm down, shorty." Lilith smiled. "That's a little bit confusing, but it's good to know they're not skinwalkers or under some curse."

"Skinwalkers would be the last damned thing I'd want to deal with right now. They're nasty fuckers who don't die unless you can lure them into their original form." Ciel groaned.

"Do I want to know how you know that?"

"I'll explain later." Ciel said. "But what about the idiots we have prisoner?"

"I don't know. I can whip up a truth serum. Or something to torture them and force the truth."

"Which is more effective?" Sebastian asked.

"Shouldn't you know this, demon?" Lilith turned to him. "To answer that before you get snappy; torture then the serum. Wear down their mental states. If they have some barrier in their mind, there are a few things I can do that'll break the barriers in a matter of days. Even some of the strongest ones."

"Can you tell if there's a barrier or not?"

Lilith shrugged. "It would depend. If they have little or no magical background, it'll be easier than someone who does. Someone with a magical barrier would possibly be able to reconstruct a mind barrier, but weaker each time. Unless they have a source to feed from. From what I can tell, the first is the case here."

"So do it." Sebastian said. "We'll stand watch while you work."

"Actually, them being here is a bad idea. Can you take them somewhere?"

"Of course." Sebastian disappeared back down the stairs, Grell and William close behind.

"Can I stay here?" Ciel asked quietly.

"You're going to come home with me tonight, okay? If not, that's fine. You can call Mey-Rin and the gang to come stand watch. And I'm sure Grell could get a Reaper or two here."

Ciel shook his head. "No, no. I'll go with you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'll probably be better off with you than being here." Ciel said. "But, isn't this your apartment?"

"Oh hell no. No. Jesus. Thing was up here when I bought the place. Where do you think I disappear off to?"

"Here, apparently."

"You are very right. Plus, if there's loads of work that needs to be done, I can hole up here."

"True."


	8. Chapter 8

This one feels rushed to me. I know it probably even isn't. The next chapter will be a little different. No, I'm not changing POVs. Also, Updates will be scarce...again. I now I have job and I go back to class next week. But I'll try to write every second I can. What I will probably end up doing is bulk writing chapters then posting them.

* * *

Ciel sat on one of the two couches in Lilith's den with his legs crossed. He stared at the painting of his old home. The Phantomhive manor. It was a fairly recent painting, he knew. The place had changed a little, but was still what had been his home.

Lilith had made him change into sweatpants and the had tossed and oversized AC/DC shirt at him, ordering him to change so she could wash his clothes. He listened, then wandered down into the kitchen to make tea and hopefully find Lilith. Tea he made, but a crazy woman he didn't find. So he found a room to sit in. Said room just happened to have a very large painting of the Phantomhive Manor.

"There you are!" Lilith said a little too loudly. "I'm surprised you even managed to find this room."

"I don't know how. I was…drawn here I guess." Ciel sighed. "The manor looks different. The driveway is in a different position. The fountain wasn't there when I left. And there's fucking ivy everywhere."

"All these years and you can still remember?"

Ciel shrugged. "It was home. As many times as I was attack or in danger there, it was home." He closed his eyes. "I wonder if the ruins of the old manor are even still standing."

Lilith sat down next to the half demon. "I know someone in England that can look into it. Maybe see if there's been more history there since your left."

"You make it sound like something has happened there."

"The current owners think the place is haunted. Your bedroom and study are untouched, locked up. The maids that are there only go in a few times a month to clean. But everything is untouched."

"I wonder is Elizabeth ever got my letter."

"Sebastian made sure of it. I remember him telling me Elizabeth was devastated, but she did understand why you up and left. I actually believe it's her family that has the manor now."

"I should have come back. I should have seen her one more time."

"Ciel, do you regret leaving?"

"At times, yes. But staying would have put everyone in danger."

"What you can do is go to England and visit Elizabeth's grave, you know."

"Yes, and get caught by whatever asshole is after me."

"Then you take Sebastian with you."

"That's not a promise I'll be safe."

"Having the strongest demon and best fighting skills isn't even a guarantee you'll survive. But that's always how it is. Even as a simple human being. You could have all the power in the world and still be at risk of getting killed."

"I know. There's risks in everything. I still don't know who killed my parents and tried to kill me. I don't even know how they found me in the first place. I don't…exactly look like I did before." True, Ciel's hair wasn't as long as it was. He'd left the top longer and cut the rest short so he had an undercut. His contacts were bright green instead of his natural blue eyes, and he'd added to his ear piercings over the years. And he wasn't as short as he had been, but he still wasn't tall like Sebastian.

"I'm amazed that Sebastian eve recognized you." Lilith said.

"He could recognize me if I'd had a sex change. We never broke the Faustian contract."

"Jesus, Ciel. That caught me off guard." Lilith laughed. "You're pretty delicate. You'd just need to grow out your hair and slap on a little makeup."

Ciel's eyes widened. "I wasn't fucking serious, you know."

Lilith responded with a shrug. She stood up, and turned to leave. "Come on. Mey-Rin, Finnian, and Baldroy will be here soon."

"Why are they coming here?"

"I invited them, you idiot. Get downstairs. No need to change."

"Yes, obviously." Ciel trekked after the witch.

Lilith's skirt flowed as she walked, her anklets jingling quietly with every step.

The witch, Ciel knew, was old enough to have seen plagues sweep Europe, mass hysteria sweep the world, and new diseases come, old ones go. Yet she kept her head up, somehow. It sort of scared Ciel. He'd seen how war and disease tore countries apart. It scared him. More so than the thought of his soul being sucked out by a demon. Then again, maybe he should have thought of that before making the contract with Sebastian. It was over a hundred years too late to even think about changing his mind.

"Ciel? Can you get vegetables out of the fridge? And chop them?"

"Sure." Ciel moved toward the refrigerator, pulling the door open and digging around in the top drawer Lilith had smacked masking tape on and written "vegetables" on it.

"Do you think your friends will like vegetable soup?"

Ciel shrugged. "I'm not sure. I don't remember Sebastian ever making it. Then again, he always made unusual things. Vegetable soup sounds like a commoner thing."

Lilith snorted. "Did he always take care of you?"

"No. I was twelve or thirteen when my parents were killed. It's been so long, I can't remember how old I was. I remember their faces clear as day though." Ciel set the veggies he'd gotten on the counter. "I suppose it's better to forget the age at which something tragic happened than to forget the faces of those who you lost."

"You talk as if you've lost more than your parents."

"Maybe. It would depend on how you looked at it. I left because I knew I'd never age. Lizzie would have died an old woman and I'd still be young."

"Do you think she would have care?"

"I doubt she would. But she'd long to be young with me as she aged. I couldn't do that to her. I left everyone a personal hand-written letter, with the explanation as to why I left. Sebastian's ordered him to not bring me back. I probably should have told him to not come looking for me. But seeing as how the contract was never broken, he'd know where I was anyway."

"After so long, I'm not sure your contract could be broken."

"What do you know?"

"Faustian bargains are delicate things at first. The more delicate, the easier they can be broken. You and Sebastian's bond is over a hundred years old. By now, the only possible way to break it is if one of you dies."

Ciel raised an eyebrow. "I thought the only way it could be broken is if one's soul is eaten."

"You don't exactly…have a whole soul. It's a partial, which is probably why you're still human."

'That's comforting. What would happen if I lost what remains?"

"A wide range of things could happen. Yu could turn full blooded demon like Sebastian. You could die. Or you could be a shell walking earth for an eternity. There are other things that could happen, but those three are more likely than others."

"The soulless shell thing doesn't sound fun."

"After so long you'd probably realize the agony of it and start attacking people."

"I'd like to avoid that."

Lilith laughed. "Hopefully that won't happen. Most of the time beings that end up like that have something tying them to the living. Not like unfinished business. But more like…they have something to protect. But when they die, they can't remember. Eventually it drives the shell insane and they go mad and on rampages."

"I take it you've dealt with that stuff before?"

"Many, many times. It's a truly frightening sight. Typically family members are the ones who notice it first. Most of the time someone who was closer to the dead family or friend can actually see them. I've been told it's nothing pretty, but something out of a horror movie."

Ciel didn't respond immediately, just chopped the vegetables in silence. If these people were after what was left of Ciel's soul, what would happen? It scared him. Sort of. Then that made him think. What if it was Sebastian who took the rest of his soul? Would that be the only way to be a full-fledged demon and not have to worry about anything else?

"You done with those?"

Ciel's head snapped up, Lilith's voice pulling him from his thoughts. "What? Oh, yeah. Here" He pushed the tray to her, then sat down at the island. "Lilith? What are the risks of me not becoming a demon if Sebastian took my soul?"

"I'd say they'd be fairly low. He is a demon, so soul extraction is his specialty. Why do you ask?"

"Because if that's what these people want, then I'm not going to let them have it. No way in Hell."

"Then ask."

The half demon rested his head on the surface of the island. "I will. Because I don't want to get lost in whatever dimension I could be trapped in."

"I'm sure he'll have an answer. If not, he'll probably go to the ends of the world to find one."


	9. Chapter 9

I'd like to thank promocat who has reviewed nearly every chapter I've posted and has been reading since Blue Moon.

This chapter is a little different. it's short, but when you read you'll know why.

* * *

"What do you mean they've been taken prisoner?" A sharp, airy voice sliced through the air. "That is impossible. They were blessed. No demon should have been able to touch them."

"But sir, according to their escorts they've not come out of the building. But they are alive, but hurt. Not even badly."

"So why aren't you charging the place and getting them?"

"They've got Reapers on guard. And that demon has been hanging around the place." A male dressed in an all-white suit replied. "We stand no chance against them."

"How the hell can we not? I have six of the most powerful witches in the world under my command. Two of which have personally killed Reapers."

A woman with long, red hair pulled back into a high pony tail stepped out of the shadows and bowed. "Might I add that the Reapers killed by our hands were weak, nothing like these ones. The ones on guards are different. I can't even get a read on them, sir."

"Then I suppose we sit back and watch. Observe. Wait for the slightest opening. When we get one, we move in. But we can't rush it. We'll have to methodical about it. Otherwise we might lose men."

"As you wish."


	10. Chapter 10

_Really sorry about the long ass wait. College semester is over until August. THANK GOD._

* * *

Ciel spent the evening in silence, helping Lilith make dinner, staring into space, idly chatting with his friends and doing mindless tasks that didn't really need to be completed. He was sure Sebastian had noticed something was off, but had chosen not to bring it up.

By eleven, the half demon was on an upstairs balcony, avoiding the noise downstairs. Sure, he wanted to join, but the last few days were nothing but a shit fest of his own thoughts.

Someone was trying to kill him. And whomever it was didn't care if Ciel's friends got caught in the mix. Leaving again would only get him found in less than a week. With Sebastian back, and Lilith a witch, leaving was the last thing he'd try.

He was running a mental list of things through his head.

1,) Ask Lilith if witchcraft was a thing anyone could do-if so, have her teach me

2.) If not, ask if she could get a few other witches to hang around until the shit storm blew over. Or the jackass was found

3.) Talk to Sebastian before Lilith does

4.) Stay alive, and keep everyone out of danger

Okay, maybe Finnian, Bladroy, and Mey-Rin couldn't die. He wasn't sure if reapers could be killed a second time. If so, that would be bad. Then he realized he hadn't seen Grell in a while. He'd have to ask his demon counterpart if he'd seen Grell lately. Or heard from him.

"You know, being alone with all that's going on probably isn't the best idea."

Ciel jumped slightly at Sebastian's voice. "Oh, fuck off."

"Feisty one, aren't you?"

Ciel looked over his shoulder. "Haven't I always been? Nothing has changed much. I'm just a little bit taller and less self-absorbed."

"While that may be true, you're still Ciel." Sebastian walked closer, but didn't stand next to him. "You're still rather young."

"I've seen shit."

"So you have. War is not glorious, as much as we demons may enjoy it. You carry more humanity than what is normal."

"You're one to talk." Ciel snorted. "I remember you being rather vicious and ready to kill. You're slightly hesitant now."

"Recklessness gets you nowhere in this day and age."

The two fell into silence. Ciel could hear Mey-Rin whining downstairs. Probably about something Baldroy had said. Lilith was snickering rather loudly at Baldroy and Mey-Rin's arguing. It was like they were family. Something Ciel knew little of.

"At the moment, being here will get me killed. Whether or not I'm reckless, doesn't matter."

"If you're thinking you're putting everyone in danger, you're not. If they didn't want part of helping you, they would have left a while ago."

"Sometimes I think you know a whole lot more than you let on, Sebastian. Like always. At least that hasn't changed."

Sebastian chuckled. "If it's concerning this situation, I know little. It's very unsettling."

Ciel stood from the chair he was in and stretched. "I'm going to sleep. Lord knows I need a decent night's rest after everything."

"Demons don't need sleep."

"I'm only half demon. The human part of me is demanding sleep. It also demands food. Though Lilith says my stomach is its own entity."

Sebastian bowed slightly, in the way he did in England. "Goodnight, Ciel."

"Night."

Sleep came easily for Ciel, but he was plagued by visions of fire and blood. It had been years since he'd had a dream of a hell scape. But this certain one was his old home from when he was a child. From when his parents were still alive.

But this time, Ciel was older, maybe seventeen. He could feel the flames lick at his skin, but he healed as fast as the flames touched him. This home wasn't what it should have been. Instead, it was more like his own personal purgatory. The screams of everyone he'd had killed, seen killed, and so on could be hear over the roars of the fire. He couldn't do anything. Getting out was not an option.

He was a full-fledged demon. He craved blood and fear. He wanted to tear into those who hurt him or tried to, but they were dying or already dead.

Ciel sat bolt upright, gasping for air. Seeing his old home burn again didn't do him well. He glanced at the glowing red numbers of the clock, groaning when he saw it wasn't even three in the morning yet. He flopped back against his pillow and heaved a heavy sigh. He hated having nightmares. Especially ones that were of England.

Sleep would not come so easily now.


End file.
